Philip Poczik, director of AOP/HEOP, was a keynote speaker at the East Coast Asian American Student Union conference at Rutgers University in New Jersey in February. The nation’s premiere conference for Asian-American college students, ECAASU drew more than 1,500 influential student leaders to its annual event last year. A professional diversity trainer and storyteller, Poczik has performed stories and conducted diversity awareness and appreciation workshops for thousands of people in all age groups as well as for professional organizations, non-profits, and national conferences.
Kimmo Rosenthal, professor of mathematics, and Shelly Shinebarger, director of Student Support Services, gave a presentation at the annual Northeast Regional meeting of the National Academic Advising Association of America (NACADA). “Peer Mentors: Changing the Advising Landscape” highlighted Union’s Peer Assistants for Learning (PALs) program and discussed how to build an effective peer-mentoring program. This is the fourth year of PALs at Union and the third under the auspices of a $100,000 Mellon Foundation grant.
Christopher Chabris, assistant psychology professor, wrote a bylined piece on Bobby Fischer, the late American chess champion, for the Wall Street Journal. The piece, “Bobby Fischer Recalled,” coincided witha symposium held at the Marshall Chess Club in Greenwich Village. Chabris is a chess master. To read his article, click here (registration may be required).
A.G. Davis Philip, physics research professor, will participate in the first-ever 24-hour Webcast of the world’s top observatories Friday, April 3. “Around the World in 80 Telescopes” begins at 9 a.m. Universal Time and is accessible here to anyone with a browser supporting Flash. During the live Webcast, professional astronomers will talk about their telescopes and research, and show behind-the-scenes video of their observatories. Philip, working with Vatican Observatory astronomer Richard P. Boyle, will observe galactic and globular star clusters during the 11:35 p.m. time slot. To participate, click here.
Andrew Morris, assistant professor of history, will speak on “Riding the Rails: the Great Depression as the Context for ‘Water for Elephants,’” Tuesday, April 7 at 7 p.m. at the McChesney Room, Schenectady County Public Library. The program is an event of the One County, One Book 2009 community read project, with themes drawn from the novel by Sarah Gruen. It is free and open to the public.